At the desk once again, listening to old school reggae. It is one of my favorite genres of music. Julio and I bonded over it, the Rastas- Poncho, Jesse and Marcus listened to it frequently though I think Jesse preferred more recent music like dancehall which is not a favorite of mine. I was so head over heels in love with reggae, specifically old school reggae that a few mix tapes were made. Mick Hucknall from Simply Red created a record label in the UK called Blood & Fire which released quite a few deep cuts of dub versions from the 1970s, which I collected whenever I came across a release.
Bill is on his way home, travelling through Virginia at the moment. Mike was supposed to go back to his crib last night, but Bill requested he stay one more night so Mike could help Bill with his luggage from this past 3-week trip. Mike was fine with it, he said he would be honored to help. And when I get home, I guess I will arrange for a Lyft for Mike to go back to his crib.
Tomorrow, if the main fruit stand action so, a good night of sleep will be warranted beforehand. I slept really well though I do wake up intermittently to see what time it is. That does not make for an easy night of sleep though going back to sleep is not that difficult. I’ve been trying to go to bed around 10:30 PM and sometimes open an eye around 12:30 AM and realize I had not slept for many hours, only 2 or so. This happens every couple of hours, increasing when I get closer to the actual time for the alarm clock to go off.
This morning I woke up before the alarm clock because I did not see the point of sleeping for five more minutes when it would not be that relaxing to do so.
Listening to Cocteau Twins right now. Tomorrow, depending where I am sitting and with whom I am sitting, I will more than likely have no say in the music that is played. It’s all through the fruit stand app and the music that is chosen is current and I know very little about it. It does not bother me, it’s just endless and unknown. The music I listen to is like comfort food to me.
I used to have people like Juan in my life who would turn me on to new music, or music I hadn’t heard before. Now Mike is like that. He uses music in his videos, and I have to ask, who is playing? It’s usually more than likely an instrumental version, and I am fine with that. It is not the antagonism I used to feel when other people would suggest music to me.
It is my lunch hour and it is 1:21 p.m. . I am outside having a small cigar and been snacking all day so I think I will forgo lunch. I look at the corner of West 16th Street and 5th avenue and I am nearly 100% certain that that corner was where I had separated from my parents and my brother Brian in the 1970s, that summer day when my parents were looking at furniture at a showroom.
They continued walking as I stood on the corner and talked to someone I had never known before, could have been homeless, could have been crazy. Nothing bad happened except my parents being very upset that I would separated from them and they made sure that it was not going to happen again at least not that day
The Google Gemini Guyanese essay
Back at de desk again, vibesing to some old school reggae. Yuh know dat is me real love. Me and Julio used to bond over dem riddims; even de Rasta man dem—Poncho, Jesse, and Marcus—always had it playing. Though, if yuh ask me, Jesse did prefer de new-age dancehall ting, which really ain’t my speed. I did so head over heels wid de vintage sound dat I even start make me own mix tape dem. I remember Mick Hucknall from Simply Red start up dat Blood & Fire label in de UK—dey used to drop some serious 1970s dub versions. Anytime I ketch a release, I had to grab it.
Bill deh pon he way home now, passing through Virginia as we speak. Mike been suppose to head back to he own place last night, but Bill ask he for stay one more night. He wanted de help wid he luggage after dis three-week trip he just finish. Mike didn’t mind at all; he seh it would be a true honor to help out. When I reach home later, I guess I gon have to arrange one Lyft for Mike so he could finally get back to he nest.
Tomorrow, if de fruit stand wuk get busy, I gon need a proper night rest tonight. Last night I sleep good enough, but I keep waking up every two-three-four to check de time. Dat kind of sleep does leave yuh feeling restless, even if yuh drop back away quick. I try to hit de bed by 10:30 PM, but sometimes I open me eye at 12:30 AM and realize I only get a lil two hour. De closer it get to de alarm, de more I keep waking up. Dis morning, I just get up before de clock even chime—no point trying to squeeze in five more minutes of sleep dat ain’t gon do nothing for me.
Right now, I listening to Cocteau Twins. Tomorrow, depending on who I deh sitting near, I probably won’t have no say in de music. Everything running through de fruit stand app, and dem young people does play all kind of modern ting I don’t even know. It don’t really bada me, but it just feel like one endless stream of unknown noise. De music I like is like soul food—it does comfort me.
Long time, I had people like Juan who used to show me new vibes. Now, Mike is de one. He does use all kind of tracks in he videos, and I always gaffing wid he, asking, “Who dat playing?” Mostly it does be instrumental, and I cool wid dat. I don’t feel dat lil irritation I used to feel when people try for push music pon me back in de day.
It’s me lunch hour now, 1:21 PM. I deh outside ketching a small cigar. I been snacking all morning, so I tink I gon skip de proper meal today. I looking at de corner of West 16th Street and 5th Avenue, and I almost certain dat is de same spot where I get lost from me Mommy, Daddy, and me brother Brian back in de 70s. We went looking at furniture in a showroom dat summer day.
Dem keep walking while I stand up deh pon de corner, talking to some stranger I didn’t even know—coulda been a vagrant, coulda been a madman. Nothing bad happen, thank God, but me parents was vex fuh days. Dey make sure I larn me lesson; I didn’t stray far from dem again for de rest of dat trip!